Epiphany
by InfalliblyUnfocused
Summary: Hermione is the virtuous princess. Blaise is the quiet shadow. On Hiatus Until Further Notice.
1. Frantic

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, and this will be my only Disclaimer, for the entire story. I forget about them too easily, fyi.

**Warnings:** M eventually, slowly, but it'll get there.

My characters will more than likely end up being OOC, and I probably won't follow the books/movies with much of anything. And, obviously my relationship is not cannon, that's pretty blantant. If you don't like the idea of OOC, or the uncannon pairings that will occur, then don't bother reading and just flaming my story. It's your choice to read, and my choice to right. Be respectful.

Blaise x Hermione:

not much of a plot really, just going with whatever comes to mind. Might end out terrible, might end out wonderful. Ideas? Message me or review.

Here we go…

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Chapter One: Frantic

Hermione sighed in exasperation for the tenth time tonight, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes she turned to the next page of her potions book. She squinted, her brown eyes narrowing onto the book as the words began to swim and twirl in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds, blinking rapidly and then securing her focus back onto the book in front of her.

She was upset with herself, and more so annoyed with the two teenage boys she considered her friends. She'd been trying to keep them out of trouble, and to keep their homework done too often this week, that she'd allowed her own studies to slip by, thinking that one week of mediocre work wouldn't harm her in the slightest. Until, she realized tonight, an hour before curfew that her potions essay was due tomorrow, three feet and she didn't even have one measly foot done yet. She'd asked Harry and Ron if they'd finished their potions essay, as she'd hurriedly began to pack her books, and parchments into her bag. They'd looked at her as if she'd gone crazy, before Ron had answered cruely with an 'of course mum, ages ago.' Harry had smiled and laughed, while slapping Ron on the back but that was halted almost immediately when he'd caught Hermione's eyes.

She'd looked worried, upset, tired and a bit impressed. Hermione had fled from the Common Room then, not wanting to see the looks she'd have received from the two boys, or the immature things they'd have to say. Rolling her shoulders Hermione focused back onto her essay, the only sounds heard in the deserted library were the soft scratched of her writing. Hermione was so focused on her essay, that she'd tuned out anything going on around her, she didn't hear the soft footsteps, or the low throat clearing. She didn't sense anyone else in her presence, and she didn't even realize as the chair across from her slid out from under the table and a body flopped down into it graceful.

"Granger." Hermione nearly screamed, as she jumped back her chair toppling over as she steadied herself on her feet, hand held tightly against her chest directly above her rapidly beating heart. She took the time to steady her breathing, calm herself down, before her eyes narrowed on the teenage boy before her, who was currently chuckling lowly.

"Zabini, what could you possibly want?" Hermione was surprised at the calmness of her own voice, because her heart was still racing erratically in her chest, threatening to pound right out of her body. She noticed the corners of his mouth quirk upwards, and into his never failing smirk, a smirk that had haunted her sleep for years now. And his eyes which were an interesting shade of blue, almost indigo flashed with pure pleasure, they were eyes of the gods she'd heard girl's murmur in pleasure around the castle. She nearly scoffed out loud at the thought, his eyes were more exotic than they were godly, Blaise Zabini was much too male, and much too unique to be termed as god-like. He was beyond immortality.

"Oh nothing Granger, nothing at all." He stood then, flashing another gut wrenching smile, before disappearing into the shadows of the library. Hermione stood there stock still agape in wonder and puzzlement, as the minutes just seemed to tick by. She flushed suddenly, a blush of bright red sweeping over her face as she finally fell back into her own mind, and could think again. She shook her head, her thoughts still on Blaise Zabini, the quiet Slytherin boy that had been popping up into her life repeatedly these days.

She turned on a sigh, righting her chair and falling back into it in exhaustion. She looked at her essay, and couldn't help the frown that marred her pretty face. Only about an inch to go, but Hermione seemed to already be out of things to say. Snape would find grading this essay of hers a great pleasure, Hermione's shoulders slumped in defeated before she began to fill in that last inch with nothing but fluff sentences, lacking anything of remote importance to the potion.

Checking her watch, she groaned realizing it was definitely way after hours, and the morning would be terrible. She shoved everything into her bag quickly, before throwing it over her shoulder and rushing back towards the tower, making sure to check around corners so as not to run into Filch or his bloody nuisance of a cat.

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I know it almost painfully short, most of the chapters probably will be, at least for the time being.

I hope you like it. Review if you would. Thanks a bunch. Ideas are quite welcome, I'm not definite in where this is going.


	2. Clash

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, been gone. **

Clash

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Hermione's shoulders slumped visibly as she stared down at the parchment in front of her, it seemed that this week was going to end just as terribly as it started. She could have sworn she saw Snape's lips flit up into a smile as he'd handed her essay back to her. She looked at the parchment again, disgust tearing across her face for a second before she shoved the foul thing into her bag quickly. She looked up to see Blaise staring at her from across the room. His lips quirked up into a smirk that had her breath catching and her heart skipping beats. She couldn't stop herself as her eyes ran over his body in a quick sweep, he was built nicely, tall and angular. But he wasn't burly as many of the other Slytherin boys seemed to be, and he wasn't feminine as the other half of the Slytherin boys seemed to be. Hermione chuckled to herself as she thought of Draco for a fleeting second.

Shaking her head, she tore her eyes away from him as Snape dismissed the class, quickly putting the rest of her things away and hastily running from the room. She sighed to herself, weaving through the sea of students in the hallway. She didn't even bother waiting for Harry or Ron. And she honestly didn't think they'd even think twice about not walking with her back to the Common Room. Hermione suddenly made a decision to head to the library instead, she didn't want to be faced with questions that she just didn't have answers to anymore.

So for the next few hours leading up until dinner, Hermione hide out in the library like a coward, throwing away her Gryffindor courage, which she wasn't even sure she possessed at all. She poured over her books, working diligently on her homework for the weekend. She got so caught up her work, that time seemed to just pass her by. Rubbing the back of her neck, she leaned back in the chair, stretching her arms over her head and then taking a look around the library. She frowned, of course no one else would be in the library. It was a Friday and classes were out for the weekend, why would anyone be studying. Hermione felt a moment of self pity and a sharp pain of not really belonging anywhere.

Sure, Harry and Ron were her best friends, and they were more like her brothers than anything. Over the years, they'd grown more into siblings, always bickering yet looking out for one another. They didn't understand her need for knowledge, and how she was constantly feeling as though she had to prove herself to the wizarding world. That she Hermione Granger, muggle-born witch, was more than just Harry Potter's side kick, and just another fan girl. She was smart, and witty. And she even had a sarcastic humor, but most people didn't see that. Instead they saw the book-worm, know-it-all Princess of Gryffindor.

And how her soul longed for adventure, for something more than books and just the knowledge that seemed to pour from her mind. She sighed to herself, what she really wanted was someone to look at her like a girl, just a girl, just a witch, and see her, just Hermione Granger. She shoved the book away from in front of her, and growled into the nothingness of the library.

"Why Granger, you do have a temper deep down in there." Hermione straightened in her chair suddenly, that voice, the one that had been haunting her dreams and wrecking havoc on all her senses. Blaise. His voice was husky, and deep, such a masculine sound.

"Of course, because how could Hermione Granger, have a temper right?" Hermione allowed her anger to get away from her, and she turned to Blaise, a fire in her almond shaped eyes. Blaise's deep eyes widened in surprise, and then just as quickly went blank again. "Because I should be perfect, and proper. I should never raise my voice, or put my hands on another student, right?" Hermione roughly grabbed onto Blaise's shoulders. She was too far gone to notice the way Blaise's eye narrowed, or his body tensed under her touch. She was too far gone to realize that he'd stepped closer to her, or that his body seemed to hum and pulse underneath her small hands. "I shouldn't break the rules, right? I should get perfect scores on all my homework, all my tests, right? I shouldn't get a detention, and I definitely, shouldn't be dreaming about you."

Blaise couldn't stop the gasp of surprise from tumbling from his lips, and he couldn't control his own hands as they wound their way through Hermione's mass of curls. He wasn't thinking straight, she was too close and her smell was driving him insane. He pulled her against him roughly, and claimed her mouth with his own. There was nothing sweet or gentle about their kiss, it was all passion and heat. It was teeth and tongue, it was a battle of dominance.

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**Review please, and thank you. **


	3. Promises

**A/N: I own nothing, blah blah, etc etc. ** Yeah, and it's been like forever and a day since I updated, I know, don't kill me just yet. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with this story, and now after this chapter it seems too fast maybe. But it's written, and that's just how it came out. So I hope you enjoy. Read & Review, please and thank you.

**Promises**

Hermione had been avoiding Blaise, at all costs, for the past two weeks now. She'd been barely sleeping, restlessly tossing throughout the nights, as dreams of the quiet Slytherin plagued her endlessly. She was falling behind in classes, because she'd begun to avoid the library at all costs, hiding away within the Gryffindor tower, were it was nearly impossible to get anything done, with the constant bickering, talking and laughter. She'd even started to skip meals, for fear of running into Blaise, who seemed to be constantly watching her during every meal.

She could feel herself wasting away, disappearing before her very eyes. It had gotten so bad that even her friends had begun to notice. And that was how she'd found herself, trying to maneuver away from them through the hallways. But, their legs were longer and they knew she was trying to run from them.

"Mione," Harry said softly. "Please just talk to us." Hermione continued to quickly walk through the hallway, glancing around as she did, as her two best friends followed behind her.

"There isn't anything to say Harry," Hermione said on a sigh, wishing she could confide in her friends. Wishing they could understand her dilemma, but even they saw her as the perfect princess of Gryffindor. She could never tell them the truth, it was impossible.

"Hermione Granger, you stop walking away from us this instant!" Ron yelled, and Hermione's feet came to a shuddering halt. She turned around so quickly, and found Ron standing there, hands upon his hips, face red with anger and his eyes warm with worry. He was nearly the spitting image of his mother, well sort of. If Mrs. Weasley was over 6 feet tall, super skinny and lanky, and looked like a teenage boy. Okay, so maybe he wasn't the spitting image of his mother, but he was insanely close to it.

"Ronald," Hermione started.

"Don't you Ronald me, we are worried about you Hermione. You are slipping away from us, day by day. What's going on, just talk to us, please." Hermione had to close her eyes, at the pain that was evident in his voice. She didn't know what to do, she wanted so badly to confide in them, to spill all her secrets, to tell them her wishes and her hopes. To scream that Blaise was plaguing her thoughts, and she thinks that she may be in love with him. Instead, she threw her walls up, surrounding herself with the only defense she had.

"Oh! Now you two have time for me, why don't you go suck each other's face off and leave me alone!" Hermione nearly screamed at them, and had to turn away, running so she wouldn't see the pain expression that crossed their faces. So she wouldn't have to see the tears she knew would fill Harry's eyes, and how it broke her heart to hurt either of her boys, she knew no other way to go about it.

She found herself standing in an empty and dark hallway, somewhere within the castle. She didn't have the strength to run anymore, so she leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor. Finally, she broke down. The tears she'd been pushing away for so long, came tumbling from her eyes. Oh how she wished, she'd just been born someone else sometimes. Oh she wished she could be flirty and fun, rather than boorish and bookish.

She sobbed and pulled her knees up against her chest tightly, before burying her head into his arms and let all her frustrations, fears, doubts, and pain slip out through the onslaught of tears, that just wouldn't stop falling. Her entire body shook with the tears, and she began to cough loudly into her arms, as the tears continued to fall.

She didn't hear the footsteps traveling down the hallway, and she didn't feel the body slide down next to hers. And before she knew it, she was wrapped within a strong embrace and pulled against a warm chest tightly. She tried to fight against the arms, the touch, the comfort. Because it would go away soon, she couldn't depend on anyone, she had to be strong and stand alone.

"Stop it Hermione, let me help you."

She cried out even louder, she knew that voice. Of course it would have to be Blaise that was the one to find her, to hold her, to offer her comfort. She could barely take the heartache of the entire situation, it was threatening to break her into pieces. But she latched onto him anyways, she pulled at his warmth, and basked in his strength. She buried her face against his neck, nuzzling her nose against the soft, warm skin she found there. Wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulder, and sliding her body even closing to his warm embrace. Practically crawling into his lap, she cried into his arms, holding onto him tightly.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Blaise finally asked, softly still rubbing her back, as her sobbing finally stopped, and the tears were barely falling anymore. Hermione tightened her arms around him, as he moved slightly, shifting his legs.

"No!" Hermione gasped, her grip becoming almost unbearably tight around his neck. "Don't leave me, please don't leave me."

Blaise tensed suddenly, and felt his chest clench at her sobbed request. The fear and pain was evident in her voice, and Blaise was worried, he'd never seen Hermione Granger scared of anything, nor had he ever seen her show a weakness, or pain by anything, ever. He sighed, and shifted her more fully onto his lap, bury his face into her curls and breathing deeply.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Blaise whispered softly, before laying his lips gently against her cheek and kissing her. Hermione sighed, and melted in his arms, her arms falling more loosely around his neck. "Now, what's wrong?"

"I –Well I." Hermione started, and she wasn't even truly sure what was wrong with her. She was tired of standing up to everyone's views about her. She couldn't handle the pressure of having to be perfect, and smart. She wanted to be held, and taken care of. She wanted to be coddled, and looked after. She didn't want to do the looking after, or taking care of anymore. She wanted Blaise, if she was completely honest with herself, to be that person.

"You can tell me anything, Hermione, I promise." Blaise said softly, his fingers rubbing reassuring circles across her back.

"I'm tired of taking care of everyone, and being the strong one. They don't understand," she took a deep breath as her voice broke slightly. "They don't understand, I need to be held and hugged. I need to be protected and taken care of, too. I want someone to look after me, coddle me, and help me. Be there whenever I need them, understand me. I'm not boring. I'm not!"

"I never said, nor did I think you were boring." Blaise said slowly, his brows furrowing in thought as he looked down at the small girl in his arms. She was so small, so petite, and she looked so fragile. She was warm and loving, and like an open book. She had no hate in her, and she'd taken so much pain over the years at school. So much teasing, so many jokes, so much hate and anger thrown her way.

"But I'm not, and people –people see me like that. Just the goody two shoes, perfect princess!" Hermione said softly, but her voice stronger than it had been. "I'm not perfect, I'm not the Gryffindor princess! I'm just not, I'm not strong enough, or brave enough."

"You are perfect in some people's eyes though, I'm sure." Blaise nearly whispered, knowing he saw her as perfection in his eyes. She had always been everything he'd wanted, so desperately. Yet, she'd always been out of reach, the forbidden fruit. "I understand you needing and wanting someone Hermione, everyone needs someone to be there for them, to hold them, to help them. Someone for you to confide in, share your secrets, your nightmares, your wishes, everything with."

"Do you have someone like that Blaise?" Hermione said softly, and Blaise couldn't help the tingle that ran through his body at hearing his name coming off her mouth. The way it just seemed to roll right off her tongue, lingering in the hair, much like her fruity scent of apples, spiced with cinnamon to match her eyes. To deep, long lidded, almond shaped eyes, that Blaise could never get enough of.

"No, not really." Blaise said, really thinking about the question. "I have Dray, he's like a brother to me. But, I don't tell him everything, not really." He knew just about everything about Blaise though, nearly. But not his insecurities, and fears. Those he couldn't share with his fair haired best friend. But his obsession, his love, his need and want for Hermione Granger, he'd shared with him for many years now.

"Oh," Hermione said lamely, not sure what to say or think anymore. Blaise sighed, and leaned his head back against the wall behind him. Closing his eyes tightly, and wishing he'd fallen this desperately in love with someone attainable.

They seemed to sit in silence forever, the time just continued to drag on and on. Neither wanted to move, or speak and ruin the moment of peace and happiness that was surrounding them. And each fearing the moment the other would walk away, and never look back again.

"Blaise?"

"Yeah…" Blaise's voice was filled with uncertainty, that he tried to mask, but failed at. Though Hermione didn't mention it, she just pulled back to look at him finally. Her eyes still shining brightly, from the tears.

"Why have you been following me?" Hermione said finally, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to maintain eye contact with him. Blaise's eyebrow quirked up, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Because you snogged and ran." Blaise said slowly, watching her closely to gauge her reaction. Hermione's eyes widened, and then her cheeks blossomed with color. She looked down suddenly, and her hands fidgeted, pulling and playing with his tie absentmindedly.

"Oh," Hermione said finally. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to.. and I just well… I sort of… and then you were… and you said… and well I was." Hermione sighed in frustration, feeling even more like a fool, as she stuttered.

"Hermione, it's okay. I well," Blaise paused, trying to decide if he really wanted to say this out loud, if he really wanted to share his feelings with her. Taking a deep breath, and deciding to finally man up, he placed a finger under her pointed chin and drew her eyes up to his. "I hope you really aren't sorry about what happened."

Hermione looked at him in confusion, her brows furrowing. Before her eyes widened suddenly, and then narrowed on him, as if looking for deceit or something false within his words. Blaise continued to look at her, dropping the mask of his emotions, and allowing her to really see him.

"Oh," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Blaise said roughly, his voice deep and thick with emotion. "I see, well if you could just get off me then." Blaise said suddenly, trying to push her away slightly. His mask back up firmly hiding away his pain and despair. Hermione latched onto him suddenly.

"No! No, no, no." Hermione chanted over and over, burying her face into his neck again. "I didn't mean it like that, don't leave me, you promised. Please, don't leave me."

Blaise sighed, and pulled Hermione against him. Wondering why on earth he had fallen for a witch so completely unstable with her emotions. He smiled to himself, and vowed to help her through whatever, and be there for her, forever.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise me Blaise, please promise me." Hermione said, her voice filled with emotion. As tears fell from her eyes again, running down Blaise's neck.

"I can promise you Hermione, and I do promise you. Forever." Blaise said, finally throwing his heart out there, praying it wouldn't get broken.


End file.
